Clean Up
by mrs.vienna
Summary: What if - Lucas North story, relating to Season 9 (the John Bateman affair)
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

I was tempted to write this What if story after I have seen Spooks series nine. Never before I have written a short story, so this is my first try.

Special thanks goes to my betareader, for her help, support and spending her time.

Disclaimer  
Title: Clean up  
Fandom: Spooks/MI-5 TV serie  
I do not own the character of this story. They all belong to Kudos/BBC.

**Prologue**

Three days ago his recreated life as Lucas North seemed to collapse like a house of cards. John Bateman was back in the form of a long forgotten face from his past, Vaughn, and a suitcase full of stuff from his former life as John.

Vaughn had been his mate in Dakar, fifteen years ago. In Dakar he had jeopardized his life as John Bateman when he had made the biggest mistake of his life. Afterwards everything had changed. And now all his painful fears and suppressed memories were back. Vaughn knew the whole truth and had tried to blackmail him.

For three days he had lived in a trance, but now enough was enough. He had to make a decision. What should he do? The question was: who I am? Am I John Bateman, or am I Lucas North? Suddenly it was clear what he had to do. There was somebody who could make the decision for him: Harry! He had to talk to Harry.


	2. Chapter 2 I

**Chapter I**

He called Harry. It was already evening and he hoped Harry would have time to see him.

"Harry, it's Lucas. I'm in trouble. Can we talk?" asked Lucas.

Harry replied promptly, "Certainly, Lucas. Give me thirty minutes, and I'll come round to your flat."

"Thanks Harry," said Lucas, relieved, and hung up.

The next half an hour was a trial for him. The longest thirty minutes of his life, it seemed. Restlessly he paced through the flat. He had been very careful in his choice of furnishing, so that nothing personal would compromise him. It was s sterile, unemotional place, not comforting , but rather practial. For example his bookshelf contained only common bestsellers like John le Carré and Tom Clancy. The only concession to his own personality were the few reprints of William Blake paintings on his walls. There were no photographs or personal letters in his belongings. Fear gripped his whole being. Was all this trouble for nothing? Was Harry willing to help him, or had he to run as far back as in Dakar. His hands were shaking as he washed his face in the bathroom. He was not sure he could flee, but he was sure he could not go to prison again. Hundred thoughts were running through his mind. He was utterly confused. Finally Harry arrived, and he had also brought a good bottle of whisky.

Harry said, "So, Lucas, I guess we need something to drink. Tell me, what is going on?"

"Harry, you know I have given the last fifteen years of my life for the service. I was loyal to Queen and country. I endured eight years in a Russian prison, eight years of torture and I did not compromise the security of this country. All because I knew I deserved it," answered Lucas as calmly as possible.

"Lucas, nobody deserve that," interrupted Harry in disgust.

"Yes, I did. Harry, let me explain. Before I entered the service, I did a horrible thing and tried to redeem myself afterwards," contradicted Lucas quietly.

After a short pause Harry begged Lucas to continue, "Go on, Lucas."

Hesitantly Lucas begun with his tale, "I wasn't born as Lucas North." He sighed deeply, before he started anew. "My real name is John Bateman. At the university I fell in with a bad crowd, and soon I was involved in a drug smuggling. Of course it went wrong. I ended up stranded in Dakar without money, without a passport. To earn the money to come back home I worked in the casino. There I met Lucas North. Lucas was the only other Brit working there, and we became mates. A man who went by the name of Vaughn Edwards was a regular customer in the casino. One day Vaughn made me an offer to work for him. I delivered packages for him and earned a lot of money. The last job I did for him was to bring a suitcase in the British Embassy. A bomb. Seventeen victims resulted from my actions. Afterwards I had to escape. I knew that Lucas North was already in the acceptance process for MI-5. The only missing step was the face-to-face interview. Unfortunately for him his appearance resembled mine. We could have been brothers. I killed him, took his passport and entered the service. Now, fifteen years later Vaughn Edwards is back. He's blackmailing me to get a file codenamed Albany," ended Lucas facing the floor. He did not have the courage to look Harry in the face.

Harry took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Lucas, all of us have done horrible things in the name of Queen and country. Sometimes we had to sacrifice the lives of a minority to save the majority. This is nothing of which to be proud but a necessary evil. I gave the order for the attack on the British Embassy in Dakar. It was a political decision of utmost importance and came from the Home Secretary himself. It was to incite a political reaction. You don't need the details. We had to make sure that nothing led back to MI-5. We used covert channels to find mercenaries. Until today I didn't known about Vaughn Edwards. We managed to keep down the number of victims. That's why there were only seventeen killed."

Lucas could not believe what Harry had said. That was not what he had expected to hear.

After minutes of silence and a further glass of whisky Harry spoke again.

"Lucas, you are my best officer. You are my Section Chief and my friend. You _are _a good person. John Bateman, the murderer, is dead. I will not let you down. You have given so much for Britain, and now your country owes you something. Let me deal with the paperwork to clear your personal file. But we have to deal with Vaughn Edwards and discover who is employing him. Meeting in the morning with the whole team, Lucas. I have to go now, but don't worry."

Lucas said quickly, "Harry, there is somebody we have to protect, Maya Lahan. She was my girlfriend fifteen years ago. Vaughn will use her to blackmail me in addition to his knowledge about my former life."

"We will deal with this, too," reassured Harry, before he said, "Goodnight, Lucas."

On the way home Harry Pearce was distracted. He was upset and thunderstruck by Lucas's revelations; they had come as a blow for him. He knew Lucas was no saint. Nobody in this business was without damaging secrets. Lucas could only be as good at his job because he had a degree of cruelty in his character; he was his best officer. He could not risk losing him, too. He had already lost too many good agents in the last years: Ros Myers, Adam Carter, Zafar Younis, Jo Portman, Danny Hunter and others to death, Tom Quinn and Zoe Reynolds to disgrace. Deep down in his heart he knew he had done the right thing. Who was he to judge Lucas North? In his own past he had also done terrible things as a field officer, not all of them with blessing of the service. There were memories suppressed deep in the corners of his mind never to awake again.

He had to clear his mind and pull himself together. His wandering thoughts would not help. There was a lot to consider in his next steps.

First of all there was the threat to the Albany file. They had to protect the security of the country. This file in the wrong hands could be a serious threat to Britain. He would need the whole team to prevent this worst case scenario. Of course, he couldn't tell them all he and Lucas knew about this. It would be a balancing act.

Secondly he had to add a short memo in Lucas's personal file containing the information of an inofficial undercover activity for MI-5 before his offical entrance into the service, without revealing any details. Thankfully there were no more paperwork to consider. No file existed for the bombing in Dakar. The assault on the British Embassy was an action of which Harry was not proud. The bomb attack to the train in Teheran under Adam Carter's leadership some time ago had been a similar fiasco. MI-5 should not act abroad. Technically it was MI-6's responsibility, but sometimes they had no choice.


	3. Chapter 3 II

**Chapter II**

The next morning Harry took the responsibility to read the team in at the morning briefing. There was no time to talk to Lucas first in private. Lucas was nervous and strained.

Harry explained, "We are dealing with the fallout from an operation in Senegal. Fifteen years ago, Lucas North was an inofficial undercover agent for us in Dakar before he officially entered the service. At that time his mission was to infiltrate a small group of terrorists which intended to bomb the British Embassy. Unfortunately we couldn't stop the attack, but we could reduce the number of victims, because it was possible for Lucas to inform us about the assault in the nick of time. One of the terrorists named John Bateman was killed in the explosion. It was a suicide bombing. Afterwards the group split up without any trace.

Now, after all these years one of the group, a mercenary named Vaughn Edwards is back. He knows that Lucas is in MI-5. Fortunately he don't know that Lucas was already MI-5 and undercover in Dakar. Edwards contacted Lucas to blackmail him with his knowledge of Lucas's involvement. Additionally he's using a woman named Maya Lahan as a leverage to make sure that Lucas participates in this. Maya Lahan was in a relationship with Lucas fifteen years ago. His goal is to have Lucas steal a MI-5 file codenamed Albany for him. This file is high classified as Cosmic Top Secret. We have to make sure that file is safe. We have to deal with Vaughn Edwards and discover his employers. We have to protect Maya Lahan. So, Lucas, what do you suggest?"

Lucas continued, "Thank you Harry. Ruth, we need files for Vaughn Edwards and Maya. I know her already, so it is easier for me. I will take this task myself. Tariq your concern are the credit cards, mobile phones, bank accounts and so on for both. Dimitri, Beth, your purpose is looking for some hint about Vaughn's employers. Why is the Albany file so special and who would gain an advantage possessing it? Harry, anything else you want to complete?" asked Lucas.

Harry answered in a rasping voice, "Yes, one thing. I know about Albany, but it is a Cosmic Top Secret file. Therefore I have to talk to the Home Secretary before I can tell you about it. I need his consent. Next briefing in two hours. Lucas please follow me in my office." The team headed to their task.

The next two hours were filled with busy activities.

Harry and Lucas went to the office for privacy. Harry told Lucas that his personal file was already revised and nobody would ever learn about his former existence as John Bateman. Fortunately Lucas North was an orphan, so that no relatives could compromise him.

The only danger was Maya Lahan, John Bateman's former girlfriend. She had to sign the Official Secrets Act. Lucas and Harry agreed that Maya would have to move to a safe house for protection. Furthermore she would need a new identity.

Harry visited the Home Secretary and received the consent to tell his employees about Albany in general with the contraint not to tell details of the content. During the two hours the folders of Vaughn Edwards and Maya Lahan were pieced together.

The next briefing was more informative.

Harry told the team that Albany was the basis for creating a virus as a genetic weapon. This virus was able to attack only a special target, for example a human race, an animal breed or a vegetable. It could be changed according to threat. Therefore the capability was high and their priority was to make sure this file never fell into the wrong hands whatever the cost.

Afterwards Ruth presented her report."May I introduce Vaughn Edwards. In the folders I gave you is a photo. He is British subject. He works as a mercenary for the highest bidder. Mainly engaged in business like acquisiton of information, he act as mediator for contacts, and he is well-known as a courier who asks no questions. The last few years he was operating in Asia. His connections are widespread. Surprisingly he has managed to slip through our network. Therefore I haven't much further information. One thing of interest, Lucas. He is connected with Maya Lahan. She knows him as Michael and he is her boyfriend, actually. They met approximately two month ago. They were dating for a couple of weeks and he moved into her flat only recently. I don't think she knows about his double life. That is all I can tell about him at the moment."

Lucas was the next."That's good, Ruth. The information about the relationship between Maya and Vaughn is very valuable. I didn't know it before. Dr. Maya Lahan, born 20.09.75 in York, 35 years old, single – obviously not anymore - is a physician. She works here in central London in the A&E at Royal Bloomsbury, studied medicine at Leeds University. Nothing irregular in her life. Her boyfriend Michael is really Vaughn Edwards. It is an advantage to know this. I shall contact her and we will move her to a safe house for protection. After she moves in, we have to organize a schedule of minders. Ruth, can you do this please. Tariq, what can you tell us?"

Tariq replied, "OK, Lucas. I have the reports for the mobile phones only half an hour before this meeting. We know about the relationship between Vaughn and Maya through the phone bills because of the regularly calls between them. I have to do further analysis afterwards. The accounts and the credit card billings of Maya Lahan are unimportant. For Vaughn it is tricky. He is very careful about it and I am waiting of more information from his credit card institutions, yet. He has also accounts in Switzerland and the Caymans. You all know how difficult it is to get information especially with the guys in Switzerland. I hope I can you tell more soon."

Lucas asked Beth and Dimitri, "Have you any information to share?"

Dimitri answered, "Nothing, Lucas. We're fishing in muddy waters."

Lucas outlined the next steps. "So, Beth and Dimitri, you'll run surveillance on Vaughn. We know he lives with Maya. Make sure the flat is bugged. The address is in the folder. Tariq, you are responsible for the monitoring of the mobile phones, any email accounts and the banking. I will contact Maya in the hospital today. Ruth, it seems you have to go fishing.

I suggest starting in Asia. Harry, any further orders?"

"No, Lucas. I am out of office the rest of the day. You can always contact me by mobile if need be. Off we go," answered Harry concluding the meeting.


	4. Chapter 4 III

**Chapter III**

After the actions of the morning Lucas was a little relieved about the development in his precarious situation. Harry had stood by his side and backed him up. His tension was leaving him. On the way to the hospital where Maya was working, he took time to catch his breath. It would be difficult to meet Maya after all this time. He was anxious, the tension returning in waves.

How would she react? He could not say. Maya was his first love, and she would always have a special spot in his heart. This meeting had to go right. It was very important that she signs the necessary papers. His fragile existence as Lucas North depended on it. He had to be very persuasive and manipulative if necessary.

In the hospital he watched her for a while, before entering one of the consulting rooms. In a few minutes she would be here with him. His heart was in his mouth. To calm down he looked through the window to the car park. The sound of the door opening startled him and Maya came into the room. She was reading at her patient chart and spoke without looking at him.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Lahan. What can I do for you?" Then she looked up, and her jar dropped. "John,… you're alive." She was shocked. Unconsciously she closed the gap between them. She had to touch him to believe he was real.

"Maya," whispered Lucas. Without warning, she slapped his face. All her anger was focussed into this one blow. She was confused, shocked and very angry. His disappearance had rocked her world so long ago. It took a long time for her to move on in her life. How could he did this to her? He had disappeared without a second thought for her, without a farewell. She had thought he was dead, and she had deeply grieved for him for a long time. How distraught she felt.

"Leave me alone," she stammered and turned away from him to leave the room. Before she reached the door, Lucas spoke quickly.

"Your life is in danger. I'm a MI-5 agent, and my name is Lucas North."

"Yeah, sure and I'm Alice in Wonderland," she answered snappishly. "Stay away from me, John."

"I can't. Please hear me out. Your life is really in danger. This is not a fake," Lucas said.

"John, that's not funny," answered Maya angrily.

"No, it isn't, Maya. I'm telling you the truth, believe me," replied Lucas frustrated.

She shot back, "Why should I? You are a liar. You've lied to me for fifteen years."

"Yes, Maya. I am a liar, I'm a spy. My name is Lucas North, not John and your new boyfriend, Michael, is not Michael but Vaughn Edwards," said Lucas composed.

"What? What did you say? John!" whispered Maya.

Now he spoke very calmly and smoothly, "I'm not John, I'm Lucas. I will tell you, and we will protect you. I will protect you, I promise. For this reason you have to sign the Official Secrets Act first. Please, Maya, do it, so we can protect you."

He grabbed the papers in his jacket pocket and gave her the sheets. She read them carefully. The silence was burdensome. Maya suppressed a deep sigh and asked, "What if I refuse to sign this?"

Lucas said in a deep and smooth voice, "Maya, please do it. I don't want to force you, but I will if I can safe your life through it."

Finally Maya signed the paperwork.

"So, I've done it. I daresay you will tell me now, John… oh, sorry, Lucas," Maya said sardonically.

Lucas took a deep breath and suggested sitting down. Once both of them had grabbed a chair and sat down he began the tale.

"Maya, John Bateman doesn't exist. I'm Lucas North. Never say John to me, never talk about John, that is very important. I work for the Secret Service. In the past, here and in Africa, I was undercover. In Africa I met Vaughn Edwards, known to you as your boyfriend, is involved in terrorism. He knows about our former relationship. I believe he met you deliberately, and he tried to blackmail me to steal information for him. He's using you as leverage against me. Therefore it's best you move into a safe house, and after we have dealt with Vaughn you have to get a new identity. You can tell Vaughn you have received a last minute invitation to a medical conference, or a distant relative has died so you have to go to the funeral. Something like that."

Maya went pale. "I can't," she said distressed."What about my family, my friends, my work. I will lose everything. I'm not willing to do that. I have too hard worked for my position here. I refuse." Feisty as ever, she looked to him and raised slightly her chin.

Lucas tried to persuade her. "If you don't move into a safe house, Maya, you have to live with Vaughn, otherwise he'll know you aren't clueless anymore. You have to appear ignorant. Can you do this? It's dangerous. Imagine what happens if you let slip the name Vaughn unconsciously. As a matter of fact, we will be observing you twenty-four/seven. We will bug your home. You won't be alone, but are you really willing risk it? Are you certain?"

She nodded vehemently since she felt she was too unsure to speak. A deep look into her eyes told Lucas that she would not waver in her decision, he knew her well enough for that.

"I have to get the consent from my boss first, and I can't promise you that he will give it. Please wait here. I have to make a call," and then Lucas left the room.

Outside he looked at his watch. Lucas did not know where Harry was, only that he was not in the office for the rest of day. He hoped he would not disturb him, whatever it was Harry was doing, but he had to ask him by phone. Only a few seconds later Harry was on the line.

"Problems, Lucas?" asked Harry.

"Only that Maya Lahan refused to move into a safe house. I see a chance in that Harry. If nothing changes in the circumstances, Vaughn will not suspect anything. For the sake of appearance I can play along in his schemes. We will gain time and possibly detect the conspirators," was the answer from Lucas.

"You have a point. Sounds like a plan, Lucas. Has Maya signed the papers?" Harry wanted to know.

"Thankfully, yes," replied Lucas, relieved.

"Good, see you" said Harry and rang off.

Lucas went back to Maya to tell her the "good" news. He explained that he could not give her his phone number. It was too risky to have it on her mobile. He asked her whether she had a conspicuous garment or something like that. Coincidentally Vaughn had given her a red scarf as a gift two days ago. They agreed Maya would wear the scarf if she had to contact Lucas. Afterwards they said goodbye, and Lucas left her with the reminder to be very careful.


	5. Chapter 5 IV

**Chapter IV**

While Lucas was in the hospital, Dimitri and Beth took up position down the road from Maya Lahan's house. It was a nice-looking house with a small, tidy yard. They were aware that Edwards was in, because Ruth had made a call and Vaughn had answered. She had pretended to be an old classmate from university intending to organise a class reunion, so that Edwards would not be suspicious.

Twenty minutes later Edwards left the house. Beth exited the car without attracting attention. She had all the necessary equipment to monitor Maya and Edwards' home in her handbag. As soon as Edwards was out of sight, she crossed the street and broke into the house. Immediately she begun to install the microphones. Then she checked with Tariq at Thames House if the transmission was working well. Once finished she searched through the personal belongings of Edwards, sadly without success. Unseen she left the house and was on her way back to headquarters.

At the same time Dimitri took up the chase and followed Edwards in an appropriate manner. At length they arrived at a busy shopping centre. Vaughn Edwards wandered round, first to a newspaper kiosk to buy The Times. He looked careful around and checked the environment. Dimitri was skilled enough to hide between a group of tourists. The next stop was to buy a coffee. Once again he looked around. Vaughn Edwards did not spot Dimitri. At last he entered a cybercafé after a last check. Inside he used one of the computers with line of sight to the entrance to catch up on his email account.

Dimitri went to a coffee shop opposite the internet café and asked a young girl if he could sit down at her table. It was the only free place outside the shop and she offered it gladly after a assessing glance at him. It seemed like a date to a casual observer. He ordered an espresso and then he called Tariq to inform him about the cybercafé address.

At Thames House Tariq began immediately to hack the internet connection. Only a few minutes later he succeeded in accessing Vaughn's account and downloading the emails.

At the same time Lucas arrived back from the hospital at headquarters in a confused state of mind. To see Maya after such a long time had taken a toll on him. Often in the past he had imagined how that moment would be. He had dreamt about it for a long time now, but the reality was quite different. He was disappointed. She was as beautiful as ever, but he did not feel the same attraction and magical spell as before. Her nature seemed changed. That he had not expected. Her easiness and her sparkling liveliness had vanished. Instead there was a bitterness, but that was understandable to him. He knew he was a changed person, too. He had to accept that she was a stranger for him now, and not the woman he had once known. Maybe they could build a friendship again, and perhaps in time a relationship could grew. Only time would tell. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention to the paperwork on his desk. It was business as usual.

The rest of Maya's shift passed uneventfully. She felt numb and could not say what she had done afterwards. She did not even remember her journey home. Her most beloved little house felt different. It made her flesh crawl. The former cosy and comforting atmosphere was lost to her. She could not grasp why; nothing had physically changed. Probably the reason was her new knowledge of Michael's duplicitous behaviour. How could she have been so blind? Why had she allowed him to move in after such a short time? At a single blow he was an intruder in her home and in her life. She reminded herself to call him Michael, even in her thoughts, to avoid a unconscious mistake. It was incredible. Only a few hours ago, in the morning, her life seemed perfect. She was happy with her new boyfriend at her side. She felt loved and safe, and now in the afternoon, her world rocked again because of John, no Lucas, she must call him Lucas. How handsome he had looked. Damn, she wished she had never met him. Her anger increased. She knew she had to calm down, otherwise Michael would be suspicious when he came back. Therefore she went into the kitchen and began cooking. Cooking had always calmed her.

Meanwhile Beth entered the Grid at Thames House. Lucas waved to her, and she went over to him. She reported shortly what she had done before he told her about Maya's refusal to move into a safe house. He begged her to arrange for a team to observe Maya and also another one to support Dimitri and herself with the surveillance on Vaughn. Besides that, he told her, it was important to inform him when Maya Lahan would wear a red scarf. He explained that it was an agreed signal for him to contact they were talking Ruth came along. She showed Lucas a printout of one of the emails Vaughn had received. It was a business letter from China, containing an urgent request to deliver the ordered goods. The sender was a company called Chang Enterprises, Import and Export, in Beijing. It seemed they had a lead. Ruth supposed Vaughn would contact Lucas in the near future.

As soon as Dimitri had finished his espresso, Vaughn left the cybercafé in a dark mood. He looked as if he was under pressure. Dimitri said goodbye to the nice girl at his table and followed Vaughn. Edwards drove criss-cross through the city before he headed home. In Maya and Vaughn's street, Dimitri's relief was waiting. He passed by and drove back to headquarters.

Maya looked up as she heard Vaughn coming home. That raised her greeted her with a insincere, "Hello, darling, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Michael," she answered, her hands slightly shaking. He reached her and embraced her waist. She flinched unwittingly. He frowned and asked her, "Has something happened, Maya?"

"No," she lied, "only that a patient of mine died today. I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does. I'm exhausted."

He kissed her forehead and replied, "Poor sweetheart." Somehow he mistrusted her, but he was skilled enough to hide it. He guessed she had met John and hoped he was right. That would be the first good news of the day and would play along with his plans to reunite John with Maya. After all it would not be the first time he had managed to manipulate John.

As Maya did the dishes after supper Vaughn checked secretly Maya's mobile phone, but he found no hint of John on it. That was disappointing. He went back to Maya and told her he had another business meeting in the evening. It could be late, so she should not wait up for him. As soon as he was out of the house Maya ran into the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. She was bathed in perspiration. Outside Vaughn called John with his tap-proof cell phone.

Lucas was on his way home as his phone rang. The display told him it was Vaughn. He had not expected to hear from him so soon. Vaughn must be hard-pressed. He couldn't help grinning. Gloatingly he waited half a minute before he answered the call."Vaughn?"he rumbled.

"John, I need your help, badly," stammered Vaughn.

Lucas replied calmly, "You have thirty seconds before I hang up. What do you want?"

"I've got myself in a terrible mess," said Vaughn hastily, "because I made a silly promise. They won't leave me alone. Please help me and I'm gone forever. You can carry on with whatever life you want."

"Why should I help you?" asked Lucas dryly.

Vaughn said, frustration showing in his voice, "You don't do it for me. You do it for you. Meet me in Battersea Park, 20 minutes," and rang off.

Lucas was determined to keep Vaughn waiting. Therefore he arrived ten minutes late. Without ostentation he nodded to a promenader who belonged to MI-5. The man passed by. Satisfied, he saw from afar that Vaughn was already unsettled. He thought it was time to increase the pressure on his opponent. Perhaps he could force Vaughn to make a mistake.

"John, you're late," hissed Vaughn.

Indifferently Lucas explained. "I was busy."

"Have you seen Maya?" asked Vaughn, a little bit too interestedly.

"Tsk," answered Lucas dissmissively, "why should I meet Maya after fifteen years? I'm not soppy."

Vaughn replied, "Look John, you remember how we used to get drunk and you'd bang on about Maya for hours and hours? I thought she is the love of your life."

"Don't be silly, Vaughn," said Lucas with a shake of his head."What do you want? I'm too tired to talk about good old times with you."

"John, I need the Albany file. They'll kill me," wheedled Vaughn.

"Who?" asked Lucas quickly.

Vaughn ignored Lucas's question and said, "Things are difficult for me."

"Think about what I've been doing for the past fifteen years. Think about how difficult I could make things for you. I'm not going help you to do it. Don't contact me again," spoke Lucas sharply and turned away.

Vaughn snarled, "Have you told Harry Pearce what we did? Don't make me use what I know!"

Lucas turned again to face Vaughn. He retrieved his mobile phone from his jacket pocket and said, utterly at ease in his deep voice, "Come on then. In fact, I'll help you to do it. Tell him now. Huh? No? Thought not."

Shocked, Vaughn looked after Lucas as he left. He could not believe it. How could it have gone so wrong? He felt weak at the knees and had to sit down on the nearest park bench. Desperately he raised his hands to hide his face. He was in a precarious situation. The Chinese were impatient. They would not wait much longer. He was deep in trouble and he knew it. Fear gripped his heart. He could not bear contemplating what they would do to him. He had to obtain the Albany file at all costs. What could he do? Cold sweat spread over his skin and his breath became shallow.


	6. Chapter 6 V

**Chapter V**

The next morning promised to be a beautiful day, very sunny with cloudless azure skies. Lucas awoke relatively refreshed. As usual he had had nightmares, but he was used to it and could deal with them, more or less. After a quick breakfast, a cup of coffee and a toast with jam, he was prepared to face the day.

At headquarters Lucas noticed it was remarkable quiet as he came in. Beth and Dimitri had already gone to keep their eyes on Vaughn. Tariq was too engrossed in the cyberspace to answer Lucas's friendly, "Good morning," and Ruth was in deep conversation with Harry in his office. At his desk Lucas began to read the diverse reports of his team members. After some time had passed Ruth came and told him that Maya Lahan had worn a red scarf in the morning as she left her home. Without delay Lucas grabbed his jacket and stormed away.

Despite the rush-hour conspired against Lucas, he made it to the hospital in record time and was worried about Maya all the while. What had happened that she needed to see him so soon after they met yesterday? Did Vaughn know that Maya was aware of his treachery, or had Maya learned something so important that she needed to notify them? Lucas called the surveillance team and asked if something special happened. They denied it. He arrived at the hospital a little reassured.

Ten minutes later he saw her. She looked tired. Under her eyes were dark shadows, and he thought she had wept during the night, because her eyes looked puffy.

Lukas asked, "How are you, Maya?"

She fell around his neck and sobbed in his chest. Tenderly he stroked her hair to calm her down. After some minutes she was able to speak to him.

"I'm so scared," she told him. "I don't know if Michael believed me yesterday. I'm afraid he's growing suspicious."

"What happened to make you think that, Maya?" Lucas questioned.

"After he came home, he noticed that I was reserved with him. I tried hard not to show him my feelings," she paused to breath deeply, "but I'm not skilled in deception."

Before she continued she took another deep breath. "I told him a patient of mine had died, but I think he was sceptical. After supper he went out again. I couldn't sleep and was in the living room when he came back late. He seemed agitated and smelt of spirits. I went to bed, but I could hear him pacing for hours."

"Did he say something to you, Maya?" asked Lucas.

"Nothing," she answered. "He didn't even notice me," she said. After a pause, she continued, "Can I ask you something, Jo….ah, Lucas?"

"Yes, of course, Maya."

She needed some time to have the guts to ask him. The silence was a burden. "Lucas, what happened in Africa?"

He tensed although he had expected she would ask him sooner or later. In a low voice he said, "I can't tell you, Maya."

"Why did you not come back to me?" Maya pushed further.

He tried to explain to her. "Maya, you can't know how much I wanted to come back home to you. I couldn't . I loved you too much to do it. It was too dangerous."

Incensed she whispered, "If you had truly loved me you would have found a way to contact me. I thought you were dead. I grieved for you. How can you say you loved me?"

Lucas could not say anything to his defence, so he said nothing. He embraced her, but she pushed him away. In that moment both of them knew they had no future together.

She wished for a family in her future: a husband with fixed working hours, kids, perhaps a dog, once a year a holiday trip. A quiet, normal life, and she could not imagine such a life with Lucas by her side. Too many secrets and lies separated them.

Lucas was clear in his mind that she would not forgive him. Everything that had bounded them together was gone. He had to move on with his life. All he dared to hope for, and must be glad if she was willing, was to be a friend to her.

He managed to reassure and encourage her to play along in the charade with Vaughn before he headed back to Thames House.

For Vaughn Edwards the morning was a far from pleasant experience. He was on the way to the post office to empty his post box when he was faced with uninvited companions. The two men forced him into a quick side trip to a lonely backstreet. Once there, they made it unmistakeable clear that he had to fulfill his part of the deal with a punch to his midriff amongst other things. They told him he had until this evening to deliver his end of their bargain, otherwise they would kidnap Maya and "have some fun" with her. They disappeared quickly after they abandoned him.

Harry was in his office as he received a surprising telephone call from Vaughn Edwards. Afterwards flashbacks about his meeting with Malcolm the day before came to his mind. He had arrived in front of the home of his old friend and former colleague, Malcolm Wynn-Jones, when Lucas had called him yesterday. As soon as he had finished the call he had rung the doorbell. Only a few moments later Malcolm had opened the door. He had been surprised to see him.

After some small talk Malcolm had asked him why he had come. Harry had told him that situation they had feared had been happened, and Albany was at risk. Years ago the two of them had installed precautions for just this scenario. Malcolm was one of the few people Harry trusted unconditionally. Therefore he had not had reservations about making him aware of the whole situation. Once Harry had put Malcolm in the picture, Malcolm had asked him if he trusted Lucas anymore. Harry had answered, "More than ever, Malcolm. He has proven his loyalty often enough, but now he had given me his implicit trust by telling me about his former life." Malcolm had nodded his approval.

Nothing remained of the quiet morning at Thames House as Lucas arrived back. Tariq told him about a get-together between two Asian-looking men and Vaughn. Dimitri and Beth had sent photos of them. They were already identified as two Chinese agents. He had just shown Lucas the folders when Harry asked Lucas to accompany him.


	7. Chapter 7 VI

**Chapter VI**

"Have you heard, Harry, that the Chinese have shown interest in the Albany file?" asked Lucas as they went to the underground car park at Thames House.

"Yes, I know. Ruth informed me. I'm afraid the Chinese will be a serious threat to our security in the future. They seek the global domination, and not only in an industrial way. We have to prepare for that otherwise they will overrun us. Mark my words, Lucas," stated Harry convincingly.

"Tell me, where are we going anyway, Harry?" questioned Lucas.

"Oh, we have an appointment with your old friend Vaughn by the river. He called me and promised new information about the bomb attack in Dakar. So please, look surprised and shocked when we meet," replied Harry with a twinkle in his eye.

Lucas smirked, "I'll do my best as always, Harry."

Vaughn Edwards was already waiting at the agreed meeting point. He greeted Harry Pearce in a confident manner, before he asked, for the sake of appearances, who Harry's companion was. Harry joined in the game and introduced Lucas. "My colleague, Lucas North."

Vaughn shook Lucas's hand. Lucas glared at him in response. "Nice to meet you, Mr North," said Vaughn politely.

"The pleasure is all mine," grunted Lucas back.

"Now that we have exchanged pleasantries, may I ask you, Mr Edwards, what information you have for us, and what do you expect in return?" said Harry businesslike and impassive.

Vaughn rubbed his hands and finally spoke, "This is a fundraising-venture, so for half a million pounds I shall sell you the information you need, Mr Pearce."

"That's not going to happen," retorted Harry crisply.

Vaughn looked unimpressed while he answered indifferently, "I can live with that but can you?"

"What are you implying?" questioned Harry low-voiced.

"That means I know everything. How, why and most importantly, whom. Your bombers were British," Vaughn said, smirking. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Lucas.

Lucas looked shocked to the ground, before he looked to Harry.

"British," snapped Harry, "that's impossible. It's been fifteen years. We would have heard something. Working for whom?" he asked.

Vaughn responded, relaxed "Go, and bring me the money. Then you'll know." He turned and left.

"What do you think, Lucas," Harry wanted to know. "What does he know? Does he know about my involvement?"

Lucas assured him, "Certainly not, Harry. In that case he would have blackmailed you, and not me. He would threaten you with the press. That would be a disaster, MI-5 involved in bombing one of our own embassies."

"Yes, you 're right, Lucas. We have to play for time. Perhaps he'll make a mistake if we don't react, and the pressure from the Chinese increases further. I want the Chinese, Lucas, not only Vaughn. You know we have to decide what we'll do with him after this crisis is resolved, Lucas. Sometimes, accidents happens. Let's head back!"

They had barely arrived at Thames House when Lucas phone rang. "It's Vaughn," he said to Harry, looking at the display.

"Then make your move, Lucas," advised Harry.

"What the hell are you playing at?" snapped Lucas into the phone.

Vaughn answered smoothly, "Sorry about that stunt by the river. Bit dramatic, I know. I've still have a few tricks in me. I just need Albany. It's there in Five's Archive. Look, John, I just want out. I want to get this over with and disappear. Forever."

'_How right you are,'_ thought Lucas before he said in a furious manner, "What, and you think blackmailing me is the best way to do it?"

"We don't need to be so unfriendly, John," answered Vaughn to soothe Lucas. "I'm just trying to focus your mind. My employers are becoming impatient. I need the file by seven o'clock this evening. Same place as the last time."

Lucas snarled back, "Listen. If Harry starts digging into Dakar, life gets more difficult for all of us. I might even decide it makes sense to come clean and then where's your leverage, Vaughn?" and disconnected the call.

Harry applauded and complimented, "You could become an actor, Lucas!"

The mobile rang again. This time it was Dimitri. "Dimitri, I want to hear good news," Lucas said.

"I take it the two of you gave Vaughn a raw deal? Beth and I saw you by the river. At the moment Vaughn is sitting in his car and seems a little enraged. Throwing his phone on the passenger seat, hitting the steering wheel, shouting, you know? Oh, he's driven away. We'll keep you up to date," ended Dimitri.

"It seems to work well enough," Lucas told Harry.


	8. Chapter 8 VII

**Chapter VII**

Vaughn was furious. Everything was going wrong. The Chinese were on his tail, and he was not sure John would act as expected. In the past he had led John by the nose, but obviously John had learned to play the game too. He had to calm down and think carefully. He persuaded himself that John would do what he had demanded. If John thought about it, he must realize that he had no other choice but to bring Albany. Otherwise he risked his existence as Lucas North, and that was all he had. Just in case John would not handover Albany, he needed a backup plan. He had prepared his escape. First of all he had to collect the passports and the money from a locker at King's Cross. Secondly he had to book a flight.

Beth and Dimitri followed Vaughn to the train station King's Cross. They observed Vaughn when he picked up a briefcase from a locker. From there he went to a nearby cybercafé. Beth called Tariq to inform him of Vaughn's actions. The next stop for Vaughn was the British Museum. Dimitri suspected Vaughn was hiding from the Chinese, trying to kill time.

After Beth had called, Tariq tracked down Vaughn's internet connection without delay. Once again he obtained the information they needed. He went directly to Lucas to tell him that Vaughn had booked a one-way-flight with Iberia to Buenos Aires via Madrid under the name "Henry Jones". Lucas asked Tariq if he could penetrate the airline's computer system. Tariq assured him it would be no problem. Lucas asked Tariq to cancel the reservation to ensure Vaughn could not disappear before they laid hands on the Chinese.

At five o'clock in the afternoon Lucas received another call from Vaughn. Lucas answered in a stressed voice, accentuating his false edginess, "Vaughn?"

"Only two hours left, John," Vaughn reminded him.

"I can't talk now. I'm in the middle of something," Lucas replied.

"Two hours. There isn't a choice here. Stop pretending that there is one," Vaughn finished the call.

Harry and Lucas had already discussed that Lucas would not go to the evening appointment with Vaughn at Battersea Park. The plan was to force the Chinese to come out of hiding. That would inevitably happen, when they became more impatient without a result from Vaughn. Lucas expected another act of violence against Vaughn from Chinese side to increase pressure on him. Then they could follow the Chinese agents to their safe house. Once they had traced them, the Chinese could be detained.

It was half past seven when Vaughn acknowledged to himself that Lucas would not come. He had waited as long as possible. He had played his trump card and lost. Now it was necessary to survive. He had to be careful. He knew he had to escape before the Chinese noticed his failure. Plan B it had to be. Thankfully the flight to Argentina was already booked. He had already packed while Maya was at work. An unreal, cold calmness took possession of him. Astonishingly he felt no rage. Lucas had won, and he had lost; he accepted his defeat. It was not the first time, and would certainly not be the last, that he had to back down. Until now he had always managed to emerge undamaged. So he hurried home.

In Maya's house he stormed up the stairs and headed to the bedroom. There he grabbed his garment bag and threw in his shaving kit, his several passports, other documents, and cash. Maya had heard him. She was curious about his actions. She entered the bedroom to ask him "What are you doing, Michael?"

"I have to go to an urgent business trip, Maya. Nothing unusual. Don't worry about me, I'll be back soon," was his only explanation.

Maya tried not to show that she was relieved about this unexpected journey. She had decided to change the door locks the next morning. Then it would be difficult for him to return to her house, and her life. While he was away she would break up with him by phone. It was not a nice way to do it, but she wanted to avoid all personal contact with him in future. Never, ever she would allow somebody in her home again after such a short acquaintance. That she swore to herself.

Vaughn left the house in a hurry. Dimitri followed Vaughn while Beth remained to watch over Maya. Half an hour later a black van with blacked out windows stopped at Maya's house. Two Chinese agents raced to the entrance.

Maya heard a noise from the door while she was watching TV. "Michael, have you something forgotten?" she exclaimed. No answer followed her question. Before she could call out again, she had a bag over her head. She screamed and tried to fight against her assailants without success. The next moment her hands were bounded. Then the Chinese dragged her off into the van.

Beth saw Maya's abduction. She called Lucas immediately while she followed the black van.

"Lucas, Maya has been kidnapped by the Chinese. I'm following them," she told him breathless.

"Beth, don't interfere if you don't have to. I don't think Maya is in mortal danger at the moment. They need her as a leverage. Follow them, and keep us in the loop. I will advice CO19. Be careful, Beth. Good luck," ordered Lucas calmly and rang off.

He tried to disguise how bewildered he was by the kidnapping. He had not foreseen that Maya would become the focus of attention for the Chinese side. The only explanation was that Maya was to be used as leverage against Vaughn. He had been grievously mistaken when he expected the Chinese to attack Vaughn directly. Maybe it was a spontaneous action when they could not contact him. They took Maya as hostage to increase the pressure on Vaughn. Nevertheless he had promised Maya to protect her, and he hoped he could keep his promise. Thankfully Beth was nearby. Once again he was glad that he had insisted on being able to choose his team when he accepted the position as Section Chief. One of the first things he had demanded was Beth to remain in Section D against Harry's wishes. She was a reliable and trustworthy member of his team. One of her best qualities was making the right decisions under pressure.

Lucas called Dimitri and informed him about the new situation. As soon as Maya was safe and the Chinese arrested, they had to capture Edwards and bring him to the MI-5 holding centre. Until then Dimitri should remain invisible. Dimitri told Lucas that Vaughn Edwards was on his way to Heathrow Airport. They were almost there. Lucas promised to send reinforcements.

Never before in her whole life Maya had been as terrified as in the moment. She did not know who the attackers were, nor why she had been abducted. They had not said one word to her, yet. She knew they were in a vehicle, but she could not say how much time had passed between her capture and now. All she knew was that there were two people close by. The darkness she was confined in was horrible to her. She could not breath freely, because of the bag over her head. She felt vulnerable and very small like she was once again a little child with nightmares. Panic came in waves over her. She tried hard to fight against the terror. She forced herself to take deep and regular breaths, and to stop crying. She did not want to faint. Quietly she wept.

Suddenly the van stopped. It seemed they had reached their destination. One of the men removed the bag. Finally she could see again. They were in an abandoned warehouse. Inside the warehouse she was forced to sit on a chair and bound to it. One of the Asian-looking men yelled at her, "Where is Vaughn Edwards?"

She did not know how she should react, but she knew she had to buy time. Lucas had promised to protect her. She would not be alone he had said. Somewhere there had to be somebody who knew about the abduction. She hoped they would come for her.

She answered, scared, "I don't know anybody called that." A resounding slap followed her answer, leaving her with the taste of blood in her mouth.


	9. Chapter 9 VIII

**Chapter VIII**

At Heathrow Edwards went directly to Iberia's ticket counter.

Vaughn thought he was almost safe and would be in the air in ninety minutes when he reached the ticket counter. He gave the pleasant looking staff member a charming smile, before he gave her his file number.

"Hello. I need to pay for my flight to Buenos Aires via Madrid, please, and check in. My name is Henry Jones."

The customer service agent was looking for the booking in the computer system. After a few minutes a frown showed in her face. "I'm sorry," she said, "what was the name again?"

"Henry Jones," answered Vaughn irritated.

The lady searched again through the system, before she stated coolly, "I'm sorry, but there is no reservation in the name of Henry Jones in our system."

Vaughn felt as if he had been punched to the midriff. It was impossible. He asked her to look one more time. "I booked the flight online this afternoon. Can you look again, please?"

Impatiently she said, "Mr Jones, I have already looked twice. There is definitely no reservation for you. It appears that the reservation was cancelled because there was no credit card on the file."

He took a deep breath and asked her as calmly as he could manage, "Can you please rebook me on those flights? I have an urgent business meeting in Buenos Aires and have to go this evening."

After a few minutes she said, "I am really sorry, Mr Jones. The flight is already fully booked. I can offer you a flight tomorrow morning."

Bit by bit he became angry. He tried to stifle his anger, but could not avoid growing more and more agitated. His voice grew louder before he noticed it. "Is it possible to book a flight by another route then?" he snapped.

The young woman flinched. She looked to her supervisor for help. Airport security had noticed the angry exchange as well. One of the security guards moved into position with line of sight to the counter.

Vaughn swallowed and lowered his voice before he spoke again. "Forgive me. It is truly a very important business meeting. I have to be in Buenos Aires as soon as possible. Please, can you try to book another flight tonight for me?"

The Iberia clerk relaxed slightly and searched in the system once again to show her good will. Unfortunately for Vaughn the result was no different this time.

"I am very sorry. There is no other flights on any other airline before that one in the morning. I apologize for the trouble you have had. If you decide to take the morning flight I can upgrade your ticket to business class for the inconvenience," she offered kindly.

Vaughn thanked her and paid cash for the booking. He had no other option.

On the other side of London, in an abandoned warehouse Maya wished she could faint now. Her face hurt a great deal. One of her eyes black and swollen, so she could not see easily with it. Her wrists ached where the cable ties cut into her flesh. She had already admitted that she knew Vaughn. Additionally she had told her captors that he was going away on a business trip to an unknown destination. She did not know any details of his travel plans. She gave them the phone number she used to call him, but the mobile was switched off. Despite that they continued to beat her. They believed she knew more about Vaughn's plans. Unfortunately any other information she could give them was about Lucas. She knew she could not talk about him, but it became more difficult to remain silent with each minute.

'_Where is he?_' she thought, _'he promised to protect me, but now I'm here in this dangerous situation, and nobody is around to help me. So much for your promises, Lucas. Blast, but I have to bear the blame myself. Why couldn't I go to the safe house? My wilfulness will be my downfall, but hopefully not today. Please, please, Lucas come and rescue me. I will never argue with you again, I swear.' _

She did not know how long she could conceal the involvement of Lucas and MI-5. She was not a spy and was not trained for situations like this one. Under the next blow her nose broke, and she fainted at last.

Outside the building CO19 had arrived. After consulting with Beth the commanding officer ordered his team to take up position. Shortly after when Beth received the OK mobile call from Lucas to charge the warehouse, she nodded to the commander. He gave the signal to go ahead. In dead silence CO19 moved forward. Then things started to happen very fast. Only a few gunshots were heard before the team leader informed Beth about the successful mission. One of the Chinese agents was dead, the other arrested. Maya was alive, but unconscious. She needed medical care. Her face was a bloody mess. Beth arranged for her removal to hospital.

Once Lucas learned Maya was safe and one of the Chinese apprehended, he contacted Dimitri to give his approval to arrest Edwards.

At the same moment Vaughn Edwards was in the lavatories, washing his face. He was deep in thought, and only one notion flitted through his mind, again and again. Could John be behind his plight? He recalled clearly the sentence John had said to him: _'Think about how difficult I could make things for you'_. Perhaps it was only an unhappy coincidence, and he was beginning to see phantoms, or his time had run out. Of one thing he was sure; he had to pull himself together and keep a cool head if he wanted to get through undamaged. Only a few hours separated him from his freedom, so it was not impossible to escape.

Dimitri had just informed the rest of the team as Vaughn exited the washroom, and checked the surroundings. He made eye contact with Dimitri by accident. Dimitri looked down, but the short connection was enough. The face was slightly familiar to Vaughn. Out of the blue he remembered he had seen this guy one day, outside the cybercafé he had used in the shopping centre. It was clearly not a coincidence, but rather surveillance. Instantly he knew he had to escape and go into hiding. Buenos Aires would be unreachable for him any time soon.

Immediately Dimitri realised Vaughn was aware of the situation. Slowly he drew closer to him. The rest of the team followed suit. Vaughn noticed the movements and knew he was cornered. Quite suddenly he fled like a hunted deer. Without thinking he ran through the concourse, jumping over luggage, barging against travellers. His only goal was to reach the exit. The others chased after him, but he made it outside. There he was hit by a bus he had not seen. His body flew through the air and landed on the asphalt. He was dead before he hit the ground. Dimitri emptied Vaughn's pockets and took his baggage away before tumult broke out. Then he disappeared unobtrusively.

The next day Lucas travelled to Switzerland. In Edwards' travel bag they had found the key to a safe deposit box plus the necessary information they needed to obtain access. It was a walk in the park for Lucas to fetch the contents, once he was in the bank. By the late afternoon he was back in London. What he brought with him was a remarkable source of information they could employ to advantage. He had already deleted all compromising evidence of his former life that was included in the material before he entered the Grid. By doing this his past was gone forever.


	10. Chapter 10 Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Harry sat behind his desk in his office. It had been a long working day. Only one point remained on his to-do list when someone knocked on the door.

"Enter," Harry said.

Lucas came in and asked Harry "You want to see me, Harry?"

"Yes, Lucas. Please, sit down," answered Harry inviting and pointed at the chair before his desk. "Lucas, I'll ask you this just one time. Are there more secrets in your past you have to share? You should know, before you answer, this will be the only chance you have to come out in the open. I will not tolerate anything that should be revealed in the future. Have I made myself clear?", Harry questioned earnestly.

Lucas answered wholeheartedly, "Entirely, Harry, and, no, there's nothing else to confess. I'm relieved and glad that this chapter of my past is closed, finally. It had weighted heavily on my mind. Thank you so much for your support and understanding, Harry. I can't express how much I owe you. Now I have a question, too, Harry. Do you trust me anymore?"

Harry asked back, "Do I have your loyalty, Lucas?"

"Unconditionally, Harry, " answered Lucas like a shot.

"Then we have no problem," assured Harry him paternally. "Debriefing in the morning. Now, clock off, Lucas."

After Lucas had gone Harry recalled the last days in his mind. In the end it had all turned to good account. The Chinese agent was promising. It might be that they could turn him after they have learned all information he could disclose. The threat of Vaughn Edwards was resolved plus they had gained valuable intelligence through him. Albany was as secure as before. He had known that this file would someday bring trouble upon them. The reasonable precautions Malcolm and he had taken so long ago were as secure as possible. They had laid false trails to hide the real file. Nobody other than he knew about the hiding place. He was glad that they had not needed the fake files this time, but if Lucas had not trusted him with his history who knew what could have happened? It was ironic, that the file contained nothing but hot air. The researchers never went beyond the primary research stage. The weapon would never have worked and was only useful as deterrent with potential. Much ado about nothing to quote Shakespeare. However, best of all was that he had still his best man as Section Chief. Never change a winning team. Now, he would call Malcolm. It had been a while since they had a leisurely chat together, and he had to give the all-clear. Perhaps he was free this evening. Harry reached for the phone.

Maya had awoken in the hospital after the disturbing experiences she had suffered. After an examination it was clear that she had a concussion, a broken nose, and several bruises. Just to be on the safe side she had to stay for a few days under observation in the hospital. Lucas visited her and brought with him the things she needed during her hospitalisation. She did not feel lonely after all. He told her about the death of Vaughn Edwards and the arrest of the Chinese agent. During the visit he repeated the offer of a new identity to her as agreed with Harry. Physicians were needed in Australia. It was her decision to take the opportunity, or to leave it. She said she would think about it. Some time later he bid her goodbye.

The following night Lucas slept deeply and dreamlessly for the first time since his return from Russia.

**The End**


End file.
